Hennepin Co. Attorney Mary Moriarty responds to criticism over pre-text stop decision

Hennepin Co. Attorney Mary Moriarty on criticism she's faced [FULL INTERVIEW]

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined FOX 9 All Day live on Sept. 24 to discuss her office's decision to not charge felonies that come from non-public-safety traffic stops. She also responded to criticism from law enforcement in Hennepin County and Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer's comments about her on All Day that he made the day prior.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined FOX 9 All Day live on Sept. 24 to discuss her office's decision to not charge felonies that come from non-public-safety traffic stops. She also responded to criticism from law enforcement in Hennepin County and Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer's comments about her on All Day, which he made the day before.

Moriarty's last time on All Day came soon after she announced she was not seeking reelection.

Watch the full interview in the player above. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

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The Hennepin County Attorney's Office recently announced it will no longer charge most felony cases that stem from low-level traffic stops, which has set off a firestorm of criticism against Moriarty. Rep. Emmer also criticized Moriarty for the decision on Tuesday's FOX 9 All Day program.

Moriarty discussed the thinking behind this decision to not charge felonies that come from pre-text traffic stops, as well as problems she's faced working with some chiefs of police in the county and her efforts to enact change. 

"We all want public safety," Moriarty said. "If they see harm happening, absolutely pull someone over. … This nonpublic safety traffic stop policy prevents or won't prevent, but it limits harm done to community members, which includes, I mean, right here in Minnesota, we had Philando Castile and Daunte Wright. That is something that can happen because those are both pretext stops."

Castile and Wright were both fatally shot by Minnesota police officers during traffic stops. Castile was pulled over about 49 times before he was shot and killed, Moriarty said. 

Moriarty's office has said charging decisions from pre-text stops will be taken on a case-by-case basis. The Ramsey County Attorney's Office has overridden its similar policy about five times since enacting it in 2021, she noted.

Watch the segment below.

Hennepin Co. Attorney on pre-text traffic stop policy decision

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office recently announced it will no longer charge most felony cases that stem from low-level traffic stops, which has set off a firestorm of criticism against Mary Moriarty. Moriarty discussed the thinking behind this decision to not charge felonies that come from pre-text traffic stops, as well as problems she's faced working with some chiefs of police in the county and her efforts to enact change.

Moriarty addresses recent criticism

Moriarty has faced a lot of criticism throughout her tenure as Hennepin County Attorney, especially in the past week after announcing the traffic stop charging policy change.

"I think in many ways I've become some kind of lightning rod. Some people will just point at anything we do, even if it's already been done successfully," Moriarty said. She pointed to Ramsey County, which enacted a similar traffic stop policy in 2021, but Ramsey County Attorney John Choi did not face similar criticism. 

Moriarty said this was seen during Rep. Emmer's interview with FOX 9's Amy Hockert on All Day on Tuesday. 

"You were asking him questions about mass shootings and Annunciation at the time. I suspect you were about to ask him about gun violence. Right. And he knew that. And he also knows that most people in the United States do not believe that community members need to have access to assault rifles. But instead of allowing you to ask that question and respond in a civilized way because he was interrupting you and kind of shouting at you, it was rude to you. But rather than letting you ask that, he knew where you were going and then suddenly, you know, pivoted to hurling insults at me that had absolutely nothing to do with what you were talking about," Moriarty said. 

Moriarty said that's what happens when people know their positions are not supported by data.

Watch the segment below.

Mary Moriarty responds to recent criticism

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty responds to recent criticism she's faced from law enforcement and Rep. Tom Emmer in the wake of her office's decision not to charge felonies that stem from non-public-safety traffic stops.